Davidson College officials have launched an investigation into a student, Cynthia Huang, the president of Davidson College’s chapter of Young Americans for Freedom. In two separate incidents, Huang spoke out against Palestinian and transgender claims. In a disciplinary letter, Mak Tompkins, Davidson’s director of student rights and responsibilities, wrote that she was accused of spreading “misinformation” that could foster Islamophobia and transphobia.
Huang has previously received death threats from peers for criticizing abortion, according to the site College Fix. However, Davidson is investigating her because she distributed a pamphlet last fall titled “Five Myths About Israel Perpetrated by the Pro-Hamas Left” that argued that Palestinians are not a distinct people and rejected the premise of a Palestinian state. She was also faulted for social media comments by YAF about Olympic boxer Imane Khelif, whose gender was controversial during the 2024 Olympics.
Huang has refused to yield and cited, in an op-ed, incidents of being threatened and harassed for her conservative views on the liberal campus.
Her account is all too familiar for many of us in higher education. As I discuss in my book, “The Indispensable Right: Free Speech in an Age of Rage,” administrators are often on a hair-trigger when it comes to conservative speech while turning a blind eye to inflammatory rhetoric.
I have defended faculty who have made an array of disturbing comments on “detonating white people,” denouncing police, calling for Republicans to suffer, strangling police officers, celebrating the death of conservatives, calling for the killing of Trump supporters, supporting the murder of conservative protesters and other outrageous statements.
Yet, liberal professors and students tend to enjoy the full protection of academic freedom and free speech. Indeed, at the University of California campus, professors actually rallied around a professor who physically assaulted pro-life advocates and tore down their display.
The support enjoyed by faculty on the far left is in sharp contrast to the treatment given faculty with moderate, conservative or libertarian views. Anyone who raises such dissenting views is immediately set upon by a mob demanding their investigation or termination. Conservatives and libertarians understand that they have no cushion or protection in any controversy, even if it involves a single, later deleted tweet.
One such campaign led to a truly tragic outcome with criminology professor Mike Adams at the University of North Carolina (Wilmington). Adams was a conservative faculty member with controversial writings who had to go to court to stop prior efforts to remove him. He then tweeted a condemnation of North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper for his pandemic rules, tweeting that he had dined with six men at a six-seat table and “felt like a free man who was not living in the slave state of North Carolina” before adding: “Massa Cooper, let my people go.” It was a stupid and offensive tweet. However, we have seen extreme comments on the left — including calls to gas or kill or torture conservatives — be tolerated or even celebrated at universities.
Celebrities, faculty, and students demanded that Adams be fired. After weeks of public pummeling, Adams relented and took a settlement to resign. He then killed himself a few days before his final day as a professor.
I do not see anything in the Huang material that is not protected speech. The rationale that it is “misinformation” is revealing in that sense. Davidson is objecting to Huang’s views as simply wrong, enforcing a familiar orthodoxy in policing what administrators deem to be information or misinformation.
Higher education is based on the free flow of ideas, including those that challenge orthodoxy. Some of the greatest social and scientific breakthroughs came only after intellectuals were declared heretics or charlatans. Even if Huang escapes punishment, she will be subjected to an investigation as a chilling message to others who may not want to face such public scrutiny or controversy.
Davidson should instead investigate the handling of this matter and expressly bar the use of disinformation and misinformation as the basis for such disciplinary actions.
Jonathan Turley is the Shapiro professor of public interest law at George Washington University and the author of “The Indispensable Right: Free Speech in an Age of Rage.”
Davidson College is an “institutio non grata.”
Trump just ordered the DoJ to put fake sanctions on lawyers who bring cases he does not like. I am sure that Turley not writing about this purly fascist move is an oversight.
Franke, you just LOVE Democrat lawyers when they’re committing serial felonies on the direction of Bolshevik Barack and Bribery Biden.
Franke, name just ONE of those Democrat lawyers who repeatedly perjured themselves while under oath to the FISA courts that got even a “fake sanction” much less a real sanction.
I am pretty good at understanding MAGA crazy, but I am lost on this one.
Just tell the truth for a change, Frankie, and say, “I am lost.” That’s what you are. Totally lost. You may find your way some day. But remember that to find your way you must escape from the vortex of stupidity that you are swirling around in.
You are probably lost because you are clueless – you made a vague and false allegation
Can you cite a lawyer that faces sanctions by Trump that did not misuse classified information ?
That did not violate campaign finance laws ?
That did not seek to disbarr other lawyers for their political views ?
Obviously all these lawyers are Trump’s enemies – they made themselves that when they violated the law, misused govenrment power to target either Trump or his lawyers or other conservative lawyers for their politics or for their representation of politics they did not like.
Either it is unethical, illegal and immoral to do so – and their must be consequenes.
Or it is perfectly legal moral and ethical and Trump can do it too.
But there is NOT a only left wing nuts can abuse power to target their enemies.
Can you please elaborate – as I have not seen even the left MSM media make such a claim.
Trump is doing exactly what Biden did before – and revoking the security clearances of the political opposition.
Except that Trump is properly jusitfying those revocations based on the past mishandling of classified information that those have done.
Trump has settled with the Paul Weis firm which has agreed to terminate the lawyers involved in the politicized misuse of classified information, agreed to end DEI programs and agreed that it would depoliticize its pro bono legal work spending equal amounts on conservative pro bono work as left wing pro bono work. In return they get their security clearances and their license to print money back.
Perkins Coi will either settle or lose.
Regardless this targing lawyers for their politic was done MASSIVELY by democrats during both Trumps first term and even worse during Bidens.
Absolutely All the lawyers involved in politically targeting other lawyers for their legal respresentation should all be disbarred.
The FACT it will now be conservatives disbarring a small portion of left wing nut lawyers is a consequence of the fact that there is no one on the right to punish for doing what only those on the left were doing.
Franke, Trump is targeting the lawyers who absued the law and governen to target others for their politics.
There are plenty of lawyers and legal firms on the left that are not being targeted by Trump.
Those that did not participate in the lawfare and abuse of power to rig election, to use the power of govenrment to spread false information, to use the power of government to sue their political opponets, to use the power of government to attempt to disbarr lawyers for their politics.
Those bad acts require consequences.
Trump said that he was NOT going after his enemies.
But he also said he absolutely was going after those who violated the law, and engaged in lawfare.
People need to stop concocting neologisms which erroneously tack the term “phobia” onto words like “Islam” and “trans.” It is not “fear” than defines a person’s attitude toward Islam or “transgenders,” but instead is disdain, disfavoring or in extreme cases, contempt. For example, as an alternative to “Hamasophobia,” a better neologism would be “Hamasocontempt.”
Excellent.
The overwhelming majority of conservaitves – even many of the religious right, have accepted that alternative sexuality and other “sins” of the left are legal and that one does not lose their civil rights for practices and beleifs they hold to be immoral.
Almost no one is fighting to criminalize homeosexuality or transgenderism. Or to end gay marraige.
The Trump administration does not spend each day citing the number of homosexual appointments or firsts it has made. Trump appointed people because of their abilities not their orientation.
The deaths in Gaza are disturbing. But civilians die in war. The US conservative killed 10 times as many civilians in Afghanistan and Iraq – and most estimates are 10 times that. Millions have died in Ukraine over the past 3 years.
War is hell and people die – many of them innocent.
It is the IDF’s job – just like the US military to assure that as few as possible of those who die in this war are israeli citizens or soldiers.
Those on the right in this country work with countries and peoples like Qatar and Saudi Arabia and Turkey – Islamic countries. They have no more antagonism to Islam than Hinduism. But they are violently opposed to terrorism – whether in the name of Islam or any other religion.
I would note we are both contemptuous and fearful of those coming from countries where terrorism and violence are the norms. It is quite reasonable to be both contemptuous and fearful of people from places with violence is normalized.
Interesting how many college faculty and students truly believe they are America’s Gods of Censorship & MIsinformation. So much for “higher education” eh Jonathan ? They have become a simmering crock pot of American haters. Greg
I am a retired full tenured professor, with over 30 years experience. I am glad that I retired when I did. Many formerly great universities have destroyed themselves with their attacks on conservative thought and speech. They are dead to me.
But very much alive to everyone else. That mindset will not disappear – ever. It’s an Ideology. People will fight and die for theirs’.
Your ideology believes in donkeys as transportation and a complete loss of civilization. You’ve been fooled.
Move to a remote area and live the dream. USA has them but a remote area In South America would be great. Gbye.
Meanwhile, George may not show up today. He was just fired. I am pretty sure that this is him.
https://nypost.com/2025/03/20/us-news/kennedy-center-employee-delivers-naked-video-monologue-deriding-the-presidents-takeover-f-k-donald-trump/
Floyd,
I thought, was hoping, that was a Bee article. These people are so deranged!
One flew over the cuckoos nest — movie with Jack Nicholason.
As to the rest, much is ignorance or low intelligence.
Thanks , if the repubs withdraw the dems will be riding donkeys eventually.
I think this article is rather apt to the topic, I’m a Liberal at a ‘Conservative’ University. How Did I End Up Here?
“My students at UATX know they can disagree passionately with their classmates—a more meaningful definition of ‘safe space’ than what I encountered teaching in the Ivy League.”
–Boris Fishman
https://www.thefp.com/p/liberal-conservative-university-uatx-boris-fishman
UpstateFarmer-I read the link and story, very interesting. That was something like what college was for me back in 1966-1970. A liberal school but church supported and with many liberals and conservatives. Many Jewish students who were close friends but since we were in the south, it was not even integrated until 1967, whereas my high school (Atlanta Public Schools) had been integrated in 1964. Go figure.
In a nutshell. We are Davidson Collage. We run this duchy. We know best. Confine your speech within these boundaries that have no limiting principle: no disinformation, no misinformation, no malinformation. Do not follow Carl Sagan’s idea that extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof in your speech among yourselves. We come at you in the same old way. Do not send us along in the same old way. NAH.
Right. And Trump has taken a new tact, banning people for their words and actions, namely free speech.
Left. And you forgot to mention that Trump’s old tactic was conspiring with Putin to steal elections, as faithfully detailed in the “Trump-Russia Dossier” novel.
Question: when Obama’s Democrat lawyers serving as his Attorney Generals and FBI Directors repeatedly perjured themselves to Judge Boasberg’s FISA courts about the “Trump-Russia Dossier” – were those lies under oath protected free speech? Or felonies?
Who has trump banned and what for ?
You keep making vague broad unsubstantiated claims.
You claims are so lacking in details that only left wing nuts have a clue what you are talking about.
Name a single person that has been subject to sanction by the Trump administration for something that was not conduct
Lawfare is conduct,
False affadavits tot he FIS court are conduct.
Money laundering is conduct.
Making false criminal complaints tot he FBI is conduct.
Seeking to disbarr political oponents if conduct.
Orgainizing riiots and the take over of private property is conduct.
I find it interesting – if someone not on the left engages in political speech and there is the least violence – no matter who initiates it, Then those of you on the left see that as entirely criminal.
Conversely if those of you on the left deliberately engage in violence – if there is the tiniest bit of free speech invovled then magically all the violence is protected speech.
Regardless, if you can not make your arguments clearly – no one shoudl take them seriously.
If you can not specify who what when and where – there is no reason to pay any attention to you.
The FACTS matter
Trans/homophobia is a progressive condition among gender averse people. The same people who wield albinophobic symbols and rhetoric in parades. As for Diversity (i.e. color judgment, class bigotry) and DEI (i.e. institutional, systemic Diversity), there is a renewed effort to scalpe the liberal license used to propagate racism, sexism, ageism, albinophobia, and other class-disordered ideologies. #HateLovesAbortion
Why is it that the prog/left are only interested in the rights of gays, trans, illegals and islamists? Do we see a strategy here for destroying our culture? our constitution, our ability to maintain order amidst purposefully inspired chaos?
#74. I’m concerned about education itself. Create a hub college for social unrest where the hamas, Palestinian, crt, dei, blm, lgbt, illegals and other can group together, never go to class, protest, burn, and camp out for 4 years.
Leave the other colleges to education. It’s anti-education and destroying education itself.
Of course, the Leftist Indoctrination Entities (“LIEs”)–formerly known as colleges and universities–hate genuine free speech and love Hamas, killing babies, rapes and murders of innocent people, importing criminal illegal aliens, committing arson and violence in support of Marxist causes, gender confusion and dysphoria, etc.
And, of course, the LIEs love telling endless likes about the fake-group invented in the 1960s called “palestinians.” The Jews have always lived in Judea, Israel, Palestine, and (modern) Israel. It’s the Arabs who were the invaders. Ever heard of the Palestinian Football Team? Here’s a 1939 photo of the Palestinian Football Team. It consisted entirely of Jews. There were no Arabs. Of course, they don’t teach facts to students at the Davidson LIE. They only teach their students to hate genuine free speech and to love Hamas, killing babies, rapes and murders of innocent people, importing criminal illegal aliens, committing arson and violence in support of Marxist causes, gender confusion and dysphoria, etc.
https://www.facebook.com/hnaftali/posts/the-1939-palestinian-football-team-wasnt-what-you-thinkit-was-made-up-of-jewish-/1091378096003325/
Loved this- thanks.
The statements in the pamphlet are supported by evidence. The five points it makes are backed up by historical facts, direct quotes and reasoned arguments. Those who disagree with it should do so with facts, evidence and arguments of their own. Labelling it “misinformation” is the work of a censor.
Want to defend conservatives? Defund liberals.
For all their proletarian bull crap, lefties love their Beamers. Nothing will concentrate their minds like killing their bogus grant money.
I got another idea. When a foreign criminal commits a crime in the U.S., every organization which helped that criminal to get here and stay here should be prosecuted by the federal government and sued by the victims. D.C. judges can’t stonewall that because these foreigners commit crimes in every jurisdiction. Sue the NGO’s. Sue Soros. Sue them all.
Defund the Left.
Diogenes,
It is not just enough to defund them. We also need to offer more alternatives to leftist indoctrination camps, like the UATX.
Very true, Upstate.
The administration of this place of so-called higher learning is more than FOOLish. It is evil, to the core.
I would be interested to know what “information” is found in the “pamphlets” (with the Hamas logo on them) being handed out by CUAD student-leader Mahmoud Khalil and his fellow associates, apparently with impunity. (CUAD’s stated goal is to “eradicate Western civilization”.)
I would be interested to know what auditing of content a/o scrutiny is being conducted by higher learning institutions regarding “information” NOT being disseminated byconservative/libertarian students.
Sounds to me like the young lady at Davidson has some real fight in her. It’s time to show her college the middle finger and launch a libel action for their attempts to smear her and no doubt intimidate her. The simple public announcement of her investigation is a blatant attempt at intimidation and is trying to encourage others to attack her and intimidate her, if not harm her. They have basically placed a target on her chest. I suspect that they want her to quit and then they can pull out of this charade. Surely the college understands that if they formally label her as a free speech miscreant, they may face a huge libel suit and maybe place their federal funding at risk.
Sound to me like this college administration is totally oblivious to what is going on in the US these days. It just seems to reinforce that these ivory towers are rotting from the inside and some not so subtle pushing may bring them down.
They are just making the case for sending your children to state supported schools where students and their parents have even more legal leverage.
Time for donors and prominent graduates to have a heart to heart talk with this administration. Columbia seemed to have a real change of heart when the Federal funding was “paused”.
It’s really time for the Feds to go after the accrediting organizations in this country. The accrediting people have gone whole hog in to pushing DEI, CRT, and impingement on free speech in the universities, law schools, medical schools and they need to brought to heel.
Shades of the Spanish Inquisition (and Auto-da-fé), but played out in the political realm rather than the religious. It is only and ever has been about control.
Inquisition? No it is not. What nonsense. Silly drama queen.
Gwyneth is right. You’re wrong. You are the baddies.
So says someone aligned with a media/political party apparatus that has been alternating between falsely likening the President of the United States to HitlerMussoliniFascism and falsely accusing him of being Putin’s Manchurian Candidate. For over a decade.
And for that you have my deepest thanks.
Because your side has so thoroughly self-discredited itself that the Democrat Party and its media have approval ratings lower than chlamydia. Congrats.
Many of us no longer care one whit what anybody on your side says. About anything.
Silly commie…. don’t be late for the Sunday meeting of your local chapter of Democrat New Hitler Youth and the celebratory burning if an Israeli flag beneath Hamas banners.
Putin commissioned a ‘beautiful portrait’ of Trump, U.S. envoy says
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/03/22/putin-commissioned-beautiful-portrait-trump-us-envoy-says/
Where can this silly Connie get my copy? Not to worry I’m sure Trump will merch it some how
Keep up the good work, uh, er, comtades.
“Shades of the Spanish Inquisition (and Auto-da-fé) . . .”
Well said.
Look at the Inquisitor’s Letter to her, and her two options for “resolution.” They amount to: 1) Admit you’re guilty of a thought crime. Be punished. If you reject 1), then 2): Be found guilty of a thought crime by the Inquisitor’s Council. Then be punished.
We are living in a sad day in America. But we know that Satan is the prince of the air of this world, and we must remember that this world is not our home, Jesus says I have overcome the world Be in the world, but not of it 🌷 🌎
Whoa there crazy one. Your macabre world may be dark, not mine or millions others. See a dr. fast.
JDebraG is right. These things are spiritually discerned so they appear as foolishness to you.
I got that type of treatment from Libertarians in 2016 when I supported Trump… group think is unavoidable!
So what? That makes you a martyr?
So what? Are you one of those “Libertarians” who felt you were doing God’s work by being far more comfortable with Hillary Clinton in 2016?
Libertarians are not inherently religious.
For any libertarian – and any intelligent person voting is more about choosing the lessor evil.
There is absolutely no political candidate that perfectly reflects the values of even a single voter.
I pi$$ all over those on the left here for their errors constantly and am accused of being some MAGAt
Which is far from true.
I disagree with alot of what Trump is doing – but he is still far and away the lessor evil, and I support – or atleast do not violently oppose much of what he is doing.
Was I comfortable with Hillary as presidnet in 2016 – nope,
Biden in 2020 ? Nope
Harris in 2024 ? Nope
But the country would have survived all of those,
The country survived 8 years of bush, 8 years of Obama, 4 years of Biden.
We would have been worse off than we are had Hillary been elected.
We were worse off because Biden was elected
we would have been even worse off had Harris been elected.
but the inflection point we are seeing now – would have been far larger in 2028 had Harris been elected.
Trump’s elections in 2016 and 2024 are primarily because the left went too far.
Not too far as I define it – Republicans favor government far bigger than it ought to be.
But too far as the country defines too far.
Right now we are seeing the Democratic party falling apart.
Congrssional democrats have about a 27% approval – that is half of Trump’s
Even among democrats – only about 40% approve of their own parites leadership.
As left wing nuts here will point out – SOME of that disapproval is from those even further on the LEFT.
But that actually makes it worse.
For the democratic party to recover it must shift towards the center. Even if the majority of Democrats wish to move further left – it is not actually a majority, the majority of americans do NOT.
Trump and republicans have very successfully rope-a-doped democrats into taking very unpopular positions
picking the 20 side of 80/20 issues.
How does that happen ?
It happens when LOOSELY the country is divided in thirds – 1/3 republicans, 1/3 independant and 1/3 democrat.
If 51% of the democratic party is on the far left – that is about 15% of the country.
Democrats have been taken over by the far left of their own party – they are a small minority of americans – but because neither US political party represents more than about 1/3 of the people, that is a majority of near majority of democrats.
The bad news for the country – is the insanity of the left we are seeing – both with democrats actions, and with those on the left posting on this blog is likely to continue for a very long time. The democratic party is trapped by its own fringe.
And the problem is likely to get worse. Moderate democrats have been defecting for a long time.
Expect that to continue. They do not have to become republicans they just have to leave the democrat party.
Every moderate that leaves, leaves the party weaker and more extreme.
That is where they are now.
But when Biden was president the democratic parties problem was that its own successes alienated the american people.
Trump won his re-election BECAUSE of Bidens far left failed presidency.
Lets say somehow Harris managed to win instead of Trump. (or Clinton in 2016).
What Harris (or Clinton) would have done as president would have assured even more people voting against them in the next cycle.
In the same way Trump must in the next two years assure that whatever he does, he does not fail the american people. If things ger worse -rather than better – Republicans will get wiped out in the miderms.
If Trump governs half as badly as Biden – Republicans will be in the position democrats are now in 2028.
I think those are highly unlikely.
But with respect to libertarians and Hillary Clinton in 2016
I would remind you of Sun Tzu
Never interfere when your enemy is making a mistake.
Hillaries election would have either empowered Trump, someone like him or libertarians in 2020.
Mitchell – I am not aware of anywhere in this country or the world where libertarians hold actual power.
There is no way that any libertarian in 2016 could have used governemtn or institutional power to silence you in 2016 – or really anytime anywhere. Because libertarians have no institutional power.
Nor is their much possibility that even in a completely libertarain contry you would see power abused by actual libertaraisn – because the core of libertarianism is stripping as much power from government and institutionas as is possible.
if some libertarian in 2016 spoke out against your support for Trump – there is no abuse of power, now violation fo the NAP, no breach of your rights, no violation of the social contract in that.
Libertarians are free to speak out for their choices and against yours – just as you are from to speak out for yours and against theirs.
We are all free to call what the other says lies, misinformation and disinformation – what we are NOT free to do is use FORCE to attempt to silence those we beleive are spreading lies, misinformation or disinformation.
A harsher punishment is needed for whoever is investigating her. Turley this is getting out of control or its already started. The longer you pander to the left instead of outright denouncing them entirely as they have abdicated their parties leaders to the radicals and progressives, will make you a terrible middle man!
Punishment? Why? Your first thought is to attack perceived perpetrators? Denounce them? God lord man, what world do you live in.
Anthony lives in fascist America.